RFHS students to take trip to eastern Europe in 2028

By Andrew Harrington

RIVER FALLS — In June 2028, River Falls students will have the opportunity to go on a trip to Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina through the social studies program.

The trip, hosted by EF Tours, will be nine days and cost about $5,200 per student. Students will be expected to raise somewhere between $200-500 each, through selling chocolate, Chipotle and Culver’s fundraiser nights and direct requests. The trip is for students grades 10-12 and somewhere between 12 and 30 students are expected to have a spot on the trip.

“Part of the reason it’s so far out, a couple years out, is that it gives them time to plan, but more importantly, to raise money for the trip,” Board Vice President Alan Tuchtenhagen declared. “This is a really unique trip to eastern Europe, and I believe it could be really educational. It sounds exciting.”

The school board unanimously approved the trip contract application at the Feb. 23 meeting as forwarded by the Education Program Committee.

The River Falls School Board and 12 administrators in the district went through a self-evaluation questionnaire, and the board went over the results at the meeting. Board Member Alison Page declared both the board and the administrators have a strong relationship which creates the two efficient and productive becautilize they can work well toobtainher.

“We continue to kind of be on the same page, both our assessment of our work and the administrators’ assessment of our work,” Tuchtenhagen declared. “We’re a very diverse group, and we work toobtainher and we work through our issues… By operating that way, it assists the administration understand what they should and shouldn’t bring to the board, and how they bring it to the board, and how they should obtain feedback and how we should work toobtainher on that.”

The board discussed continuing a focus on communication both within the district and to the community and families.

State Superintfinishent Jill Underly visited the River Falls School District Feb. 13, which River Falls Superintfinishent David Bell discussed during the superintfinishent report.

“The visit provided the opportunity for us to share programs and partnerships that we’re really proud of within the district,” Bell declared. “We were able to highlight a couple of large areas. The first is the variety of Career and Technical Education programming opportunities that our students have at River Falls High School and Renaissance Charter Academy, and then our visitors were able to observe a character education assembly at Westside Elementary which was co-lead by students and included a special visit from the UWRF Football team.”

Students on the visit shared their classroom areas of expertise with Underly and revealed the responsibility they can take on at the high school to take early steps toward a career path. Those paths included robotics, carpentest, business operation and more.

Other business

Looked at a staffing reduction plan during closed session and discussed contract neobtainediations.
Approved a staffing plan that adds five positions for 2026-27. The positions are special education teacher, physical therapist, cross categorical special education teacher, speech therapist and early childhood special education teacher. The positions add up to 2.5 FTE.
Approved the 2027-28 school calfinishar, with the first day of school Sept. 1, the last day June 7 and spring break March 20-24.
Community members Barb Kolpin and Dennis Ireland were given Wildcat Pride Awards for enhancement of the school forest including planting trees and clearing the road. The two were credited for assisting the forest thrive and building the site one that serves the students and residents.
Approved the River Falls 4 Children program contract for 2026-28, which contracts groups for 4K to provide a variety of options for parents. The contract is a routine one for the district.